Flowers
by SamuraiGirl
Summary: Misao gives Aoshi flowers based on an old memory, one-shot, AM


Disclaimer: Let's see, Ruroni Kenshin, Ruroni Kenshin * flips through mental files * Nope, sorry, that is owned by Watsuki-sama.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, okay, I thought up this in about five seconds and thought it was a romantic, and possibly already used idea! Yeah, sorry for the sucky one-word title, the story SHOULD be better! Ummmmm...I think this would be around PG, maybe a little higher. Misao/Aoshi romantic waff. Yeah, excuse the cruddy ending. And, please excuse any OOC that may occur. Well, reviews would be kind, I like to hear opinions on my stories, unless it is about one little mistake that you manage to comb out of the whole entire thing. Translations at the bottom*cough*as always * cough*. Well, READ!  
  
P.S. Sorry if anything about planting flowers in this is wrong, I have no green thumb, I'm only a writing machine.  
  
Flowers  
  
-Flashback-  
  
Seven-year-old Misao walked through the woodlands, alongside Aoshi, carrying a bunch of flower bulbs in her small arms. She was smiling her genki smile, the one that had been made especially for her ice-eyed love, Aoshi-sama.  
  
They arrived at a large patch of dirt framed with rotting wood. Misao was surprised. She had imagined the Aoiya's gardens elegant and beautiful, but there wasn't much elegance or beauty in a patch of soil and seeds the size of her fist. She shivered in the chilly autumn air, and drew her violet cloak tighter around her small body. Aoshi motioned for Misao to come closer, and started digging a hole in the soft dirt.  
  
"Put one in. Keep the wide part down."  
  
Misao gently dropped the bulbs in her arms on the ground beside her, and set one into the hole. She looked at Aoshi to make sure everything she had done was perfect, and giggled as he gave a soft nod. She went back to work, and abruptly filled the hole with her small pudgy hands.  
  
"Water it, Misao-chan."  
  
Misao quickly did as she was told, and scooped up some water from the wooden bucket. She heard the * splat * against the dirt as she opened her hands, and repeated the cycle with Aoshi's help until all the bulbs were planted.  
  
Misao put her hand palm down on the dirt, and shrieked when she saw all the filth on her fingers. She went to wash the soil off in the bucket of water, but tripped and knocked it over with her foot, spilling the contents all over her bound feet and all over her cloak. Aoshi quickly un-bandaged her sandals, and stripped her of her cloak, holding her to his chest and wrapping the front of his coat around her. Misao took one last look at the garden.  
  
"Aoshi-sama?"  
  
"Aa?"  
  
"It doesn't seem like anything will grow here. It's so ...... empty."  
  
"The flowers shall bloom next spring if you take care of them. They shall be very beautiful."  
  
Misao grinned, and then looked up at Aoshi.  
  
"Hai! And then we gotta give 'em to the people we love!"  
  
Aoshi looked at the tiny girl in his arms, the words she just recently spoke resounding in his memory. He spoke again in his gentle voice.  
  
"Aa."  
  
-End Flashback-  
  
Aoshi walked past the gardens, feeling Misao's ki dart past him. He took a quick look around, but upon seeing nothing, continued walking to the Aoiya. When he arrived at a corner of the hallway that contained the doors to everyone's rooms, he stayed put as he saw Misao sneaking out of his room. She shut the shoji and tiptoed down the hall to her room. Aoshi walked into his room to find a note on his futon, along with a small bundle of different colored flowers. He opened the note, and in messy kanji it read:  
  
Konnichi wa, Aoshi-sama! You are probably wondering why I put these here. Demo, I cannot say it straightforward. Well, remember the flowers we planted about a month before you and the others left? Well, these are the flowers that came from the continual reproduction of the seeds. You probably don't remember that day, or what I said anyway.  
  
Aoshi put his finger to a dark spot on the page. It felt damp under his fingertip, and he realized it was a tear. He put the note and the flowers in his pocket, and walked out of the room and down the hall to the source of the short, sweet sobs. He opened Misao's door quietly, and she gazed up at him.  
  
"A-A-Aoshi-sama? I-I can e-exp-plain the note and the..."  
  
Aoshi hushed her and took a few swift steps into the room, quietly shutting the traditional shoji behind him. He walked towards Misao, and knelt down in front of her on the sheets of the futon. Aoshi unbraided her long silky hair, finger combing every square inch. He took a small ocean colored flower from his pocket, and set it in her midnight locks, tucking the stem behind her ear. Misao took the blossom from her hair, letting it fall to the tatami flooring. Aoshi took a calloused hand and held her cheek.  
  
"I remember it well, Misao. I never forget the time with you, and the words you spoke resound in my head always."  
  
Misao gaped on. That was the most she had ever heard him say out of combat. And what he said as well...  
  
Chills raced up and down her spine faster than a swordsman's horse. She felt Aoshi's large fingers brush away the remnants of tears from her sea-green eyes, and felt him fiercely rub away any remnants of sorrow when he crushed her to him in a loving hug. Misao gently pushed back.  
  
"Don't force yourself, Aoshi-sama."  
  
Aoshi looked slightly puzzled.  
  
"Misao, do you think I am?"  
  
"H-Hai."  
  
"Well, why would I be?"  
  
Misao's eyes lightened a shade, and she leaned her head against Aoshi. She whispered something barely audible, pulling him closer to her. She reached up and gripped his shoulders from behind.  
  
"You could never really want to be with me, could you?"  
  
Aoshi didn't answer, but instead fingered the flower that had dropped to the floor. He picked it up and handed it to Misao, placing his palm over hers, the flower in between. She tried to hand it back, but Aoshi gently pushed it back towards her.  
  
"You said that 'we gotta give 'em to the people we love'. Well..."  
  
Misao flung her arms around Aoshi's neck, cheek-to-cheek with him. She rubbed his back, and felt him return the embrace. They stayed like that for a few seconds, a few minutes, a few hours, who really knew? Neither of them paid any attention at all to the world around them, just sat there. Misao felt herself falling asleep, and Aoshi put her down. He kissed her forehead softly, and started to walk away, when he heard a voice from behind.  
  
"Can you stay here, Aoshi-sa..."  
  
Aoshi touched Misao's lips to cut off the use of the honorific, and kneeled down next to her futon. She blushed, thinking about how he would hate her now for the silly request. Instead, Aoshi crawled in next to her, and rested his hand on her slim shoulder.  
  
"Oyasuminasai."  
  
"Oyasuminasai, Aoshi-sa..."  
  
"Please call me by my name."  
  
"Okay, oyasuminasai, Aoshi-anata." Misao answered drowsily. They both fell asleep in the exact same position.  
  
-The next morning-  
  
Okon and Omasu searched the house busily, looking for Misao. They had suspected Aoshi was already at the temple meditating, he always was. The thing was, it was already around noon, and Misao should have been bustling through the restaurant with excitement by now. Except, it was quiet, peaceful... something that was NOT normal in the Aoiya at this hour of the day. They both smacked into each other from running around two halls that lead to each other. They looked at Misao's shoji, which still hadn't been opened.  
  
"Think we should open it Okon?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
They pushed the door open, and didn't expect to see what they saw at all. Aoshi was sleeping soundly with a small smile on his face, his arm draped across Misao, while Misao was cuddling to his chest, asleep like a baby.  
  
"Think we should wake them Okon?" Omasu whispered. Okon shook her head, and they quickly left the room.  
  
OWARI  
  
Oh man did that really stink... And, as I have said many times before, you can tell it to my face for free! Yeah, that little button sitting in the left hand corner of the web page...Could you press it and type stuff in the box that comes up? If you do, thanks!  
  
Translations:  
  
-sama: lord, someone of higher respect  
  
genki: energetic  
  
-chan: 1: a term used for people younger that 15. 2: a term of endearment (used between close friends also)  
  
aa: yes  
  
hai: yes  
  
ki: energy  
  
shoji: rice paper door  
  
kanji: Chinese characters used in Japan  
  
konnichi wa: hello  
  
demo: however  
  
futon: Japanese bed  
  
tatami: the flooring used in buildings/dojos  
  
oyasuminasai: good night  
  
anata: beloved (only from a girl/woman to her husband/boyfriend)  
  
owari: end 


End file.
